Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Squamish, BC and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Squamish, BC: $2,633 a month against $2,725 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Squamish, BC
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Squamish, BC Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Squamish, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,633

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,725

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Squamish, BC and in Vancouver

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Squamish, BC and in Vancouver actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,633 in Squamish, BC versus $2,725 in Vancouver.

Squamish, BC $2,633
Vancouver $2,725

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,977 in Squamish, BC versus $4,039 in Vancouver.

Squamish, BC $3,977
Vancouver $4,039

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,322 in Squamish, BC versus $5,352 in Vancouver.

Squamish, BC $5,322
Vancouver $5,352

Living in Squamish, BC costs roughly 3% less than in Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Squamish, BC 93% above, Vancouver 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.13 CA$22.54

$17.65 CA$24.66

-8.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.9 CA$71.1

$72.4 CA$101

-29.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 CA$14.47

$10.84 CA$15.14

-4.52%

Cappuccino

$3.87 CA$5.40

$3.91 CA$5.47

-1.02%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 CA$2.56

$2.10 CA$2.94

-12.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 CA$2.17

$1.64 CA$2.29

-4.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 CA$8.05

$5.74 CA$8.02

0.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 CA$8.06

$6.36 CA$8.89

-9.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 CA$2.41

$2.21 CA$3.09

-22.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 CA$3.01

$2.64 CA$3.69

-18.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 CA$4.91

$4.68 CA$6.54

-25.00%

Eggs

$3.13 CA$4.37

$4.24 CA$5.92

-26.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.63 CA$17.65

$11.92 CA$16.66

5.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.42 CA$21.55

$13.12 CA$18.34

17.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.49 CA$27.23

$20.40 CA$28.51

-4.46%

Apples (1kg)

$5.33 CA$7.45

$4.10 CA$5.73

30.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 CA$1.65

$1.38 CA$1.92

-14.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.85 CA$6.77

$3.83 CA$5.35

26.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.69 CA$5.15

$3.92 CA$5.47

-5.87%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 CA$5.90

$2.77 CA$3.88

52.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 CA$3.57

$2.84 CA$3.96

-9.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$2.60 CA$3.63

0.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 CA$2.54

$1.59 CA$2.23

14.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.69 CA$20.53

$15.87 CA$22.17

-7.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.85 CA$15.16

$14.00 CA$19.56

-22.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 CA$4.04

$2.57 CA$3.59

12.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 CA$5.04

$3.01 CA$4.21

19.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$2.55 CA$3.57

-42.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.22 CA$43.62

$84.1 CA$118

-62.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.62 CA$5.05

$2.67 CA$3.73

35.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.02

$1.58 CA$2.21

-8.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.78 CA$34.63

$32.19 CA$44.98

-23.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 CA$1.67

$1.45 CA$2.03

-17.24%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$26.6K CA$37.1K

$27.5K CA$38.4K

-3.37%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$19.0K CA$26.5K

$21.3K CA$29.8K

-11.03%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$116 CA$162

$82.5 CA$115

40.52%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$44.40 CA$62.0

$37.46 CA$52.3

18.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.0 CA$89.5

$51.7 CA$72.2

23.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 CA$71.9

$40.52 CA$56.6

27.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.69 CA$17.73

Cinema Ticket

$11.29 CA$15.77

$12.66 CA$17.69

-10.82%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,088 CA$1,521

$1,080 CA$1,509

0.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,575 CA$12.0K

$20.1K CA$28.1K

-57.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 CA$73.0

$58.5 CA$81.7

-10.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.74 CA$59.7

$34.10 CA$47.65

25.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 CA$111

$96.9 CA$135

-18.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.4 CA$139

$97.4 CA$136

2.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,639 CA$2,291

$1,813 CA$2,534

-9.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,499 CA$2,095

$1,576 CA$2,202

-4.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,153 CA$4,406

$3,217 CA$4,494

-1.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,821 CA$3,941

$2,651 CA$3,705

6.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,834 CA$8,153

$8,590 CA$12.0K

-32.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,649 CA$9,291

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,121 CA$4,360

$3,733 CA$5,216

-16.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.72

4.28

10.28%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Squamish, BC: October 26, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Squamish, BC

$1.5K 56.9%

Vancouver

$1.6K 57.8% 5.1% $77

Groceries & Markets

Squamish, BC

$404 15.3%

Vancouver

$401 14.7% 0.7% $2.9

Eating Out

Squamish, BC

$260 9.9%

Vancouver

$277 10.2% 6.4% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Squamish, BC

$224 8.5%

Vancouver

$172 6.3% 23.5% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Squamish, BC

$123 4.7%

Vancouver

$129 4.7% 4.8% $5.9

Sport & Entertainment

Squamish, BC

$74 2.8%

Vancouver

$66 2.4% 11% $8.2

Getting Around

Squamish, BC

$48 1.8%

Vancouver

$105 3.9% 119% $57

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,639 in Squamish, BC and $1,813 in Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 20% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $51 in Squamish, BC vs $72 in Vancouver. Groceries flip the comparison at $404 vs $401, with Vancouver cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Squamish, BC

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

13:22 1:22 PM

Same time as Squamish, BC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,512

631,486

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Squamish, BC Vancouver 49 km

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Squamish, BC vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Squamish, BC wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Vancouver. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Squamish, BC the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Squamish, BC. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,639 in Squamish, BC versus $1,813 in Vancouver. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,088 in Squamish, BC versus $1,080 in Vancouver. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Squamish, BC – a meal for two runs $51 versus $72 in Vancouver. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Squamish, BC is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

It comes down to priorities – Squamish, BC wins on affordability, Vancouver on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.